Pirate's Cove

If you’re guessing that his definition is lacking, well, you’d be correct

(CNS News) “What is your definition of conservative?” CBS’s John Dickerson, host of “Face the Nation,” asked Donald Trump on Sunday.

“Well, I think it’s a person that doesn’t want to take overly risks. I think that’s a good thing,” Trump responded.

“I think it’s a person that wants to — in terms of government I’m talking about — a person that wants to conserve, a person that wants to, in a financial sense, balance budgets, a person that feels strongly about the military. And I feel very strongly about the military.

While that certainly has a few thin points, it is not really a definition of an American Conservative, which has its roots in Classic Liberalism. Just yammering on about “conserving” and not taking risks are not correct. In Classical Conservatism, yes, conserving is big. Certainly, though, with it’s focus on unfettered economics, with government having almost no input in what is known as the Economic Core, risk happens.

I’m not going to write a treatise on what it means to be an American Conservative/Classical Liberal, I’ve done it before. But, let’s briefly note a belief in following the provisions of the Constitution, in law and order, in federalism, in limiting the scope and scale of government, particularly the federal government, in government at any level jumping in when it is absolutely necessary, in limiting government’s control of citizens, in freedom of speech and religion, and the primacy of the Citizens and States per the 9th and 10th amendments, among others. It should worry everyone that Trump is unable to answer what should be a simple question

Trump said when political opponents criticize  him for not being a consistent conservative, “I just evoke the name Ronald Reagan.

“I mean, Ronald Reagan was a fairly liberal Democrat, and he evolved over years and he became more and more conservative. And he was not a very conservative person, but he was pretty conservative. And he ended up being a great president.

“And I have evolved on many issues. And there are some issues, I’m very much the same. I have been constant on many issues. But I have evolved on certain issues, and I think evolved through experience and through, as you grow older, you see things, and you watch things, and you study things.

The type of “liberal Democrat” Reagan was in the past is very different from what a liberal Democrat is today. Reagan switched to Republican in 1962. Yes, over 50 years ago. Heck, John F. Kennedy would have almost no idea what happened to his Party. More importantly, Trump is still unable to define conservatism. A good question for the next debate would be “Exactly what are your political beliefs?”